Question

I am hoping to use cloth diapers, but everyone says I'm crazy. Is it really that difficult?

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I would like to know what others' experiences are with cloth vs. disposable. I am going to register soon, and want to ask for cloth diapers, but my family says I am idealistic and think I'm naive to think I will have that kind of time or patience. Any comments??? Does anyone do both cloth and disposable, and when would you use each if this is the case?

Mom Answers

I got that guff from people too who didnt inform themselves about diapers. (how many people shake the poop out of disposables like the package says) Newborns are the hardest cuz their bladders are so small you are always changing but after a few months its just as easy. Our first started in disposables. When he was 5 months we found out no2 was on the way so we went to cloth. I sewed 2 doz from a pattern and bought some foldables with plastic covers. This works but at night we use a disposable.

I cloth diapered two of mine and by far the best cloth diaper we found was the Bum Genius brand. We still used disposables when travelling but it was easy. You will pay more upfront but in the long run, you save money. I ended up doing on, maybe two extra loads per week, but mostly because I just wanted to get them done, not because they smelled or because I had a ton! I was skeptical of using cloth wipes but soon found it was easier than regular ones. You just clean the baby, and put the cloth wipe into the diaper and toss it into the pail and wash them together. There is nothing like holding a warm sleepy baby on your chest when they are wearing nothing but a soft cloth diaper!

Here's the first lesson of parenthood: learn to ignore nay-sayers. If it's healthy & makes your family happy, then do it, even if it's "different". I think people are "crazy" for just buying boxes & boxes of paper diapers, spending thousands of $$, just to throw it in a landfill, and never question if there's a better way. I'm a first-time mom and we use cloth (mostly pre-folds, Snappis, & Thirsties wraps) full-time, even on cross-country trips to see family. Everyone who sees them is amazed at how easy & functional they are. Washing does NOT take that much time and many daycares will learn to use BumGenius-type cloth diapers. Just make sure you choose the right system so you don't make it harder for yourself. Gerber prefolds from the big-box stores are NOT a good choice. They are leaky and fall apart quickly. Check out www.cottonbabies.com and www.kellyscloset.com. Make sure you buy the recommended detergent.

its not difficult at all! the diaper is the same, the poop is the same, the only difference is that you are not filling up landfills with dirty diapers and reusing something that will save u money, keep chemicals away from baby and help the enviornment.
i would recommend starting with an easy to use diaper like the Kissaluvs Marvels AIO or the BG AIO. they are just like disposables and grow with the baby. Buy 10- 12 diapers and supplement with disposables until u are completly comfortable with cloth. But trust me, once you put your baby's tushie in cloth, you wont want to use paper after it. after all, we dont wear paper underwear- why do that to the kids?

I am a first time mom and just recently made the switch to cloth...I love it! It's not difficult at all. The hardest part is deciding what type of diaper to use! LOL! Right now I am using prefolds/flats and Thirsties covers (duo wraps), with a snappi. LO is only 9 weeks old. Now that I've made the switch I can't imagine going back. Good luck to you!

I just tried a few cloth diapers yeaterday for the first time! We've used only disposables up to this point (for my 2.5 y/o and 3 month old). I love them so far! I ordered more! I don't really care what anyone else thinks, b/c it's going to save us money!

With my oldest children I used disposable, my baby is 6 months old now and I've been using cloth since she was 6 weeks old. I will NEVER go back to paper. Cloth are less expensive, hold in the waste WAY better, and we have had no diaper rashes. We've tried a few different types of cloth. We didn't like the stuffable diapers nor the all in ones. We really love the prefold diapers with the water resistant covers (some sell kits which are a lot cheaper and really great). We also really like the little gdiapers, stuffed with motherease bamboo liners. No blowouts or anything. We invested in a "bidet" sprayer that hooks up to the toilet, no more touching poop. Also the Bummis kits come with a diaper wetbag for when your out. Homemade laundry detergent 1c Borax, 1c Washing soda and 1 bar grated ivory soap mixed (use 1 tbsp) works great for laundering them. Hope this helps.

We've used cloth diapers full-time and it's really a difference of a load of laundry vs. a trash bag everyday. I've found it easier and cheaper because I don't have to go to the store, and have used the diapers with both my sons. I also use bumGenius one-size pocket diapers which fasten just like a disposable and my family (and church childcare) hasn't had any trouble changing them. People who haven't diapered make it out to be MUCH more difficult than it actually is--it's really no big deal!

I am definitely doing cloth. I had a life-threatening case of endometriosis and my doctor said the only known cause is dioxin exposure. Sadly, dioxin is in bleached diapers, tampons, pads, etc. We are not risking it! I found a site online that lets you order any type of cloth diaper you can think of. I am doing all of my registering online here!
http://www.rgnaturalbabies.com/

We use Thirsties all-in-one diapers and love them. Our son is 7 weeks old, and so far, the cloth diapers are working out really well. I do think they leak more than disposable diapers, but I don't mind changing him more often. Good luck!

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